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Astros Select Fisher, Reed with Second and Third Picks Tonight

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Press Release |

HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros have made their second and third selections in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, selecting outfielder Derek Fisher 37th overall and first baseman A.J. Reed 42nd overall. Fisher was selected in the competitive balance round A, while Reed was the first selection in the second round.

Fisher, 20, is hitting .288 (40x139) with seven doubles and 23 RBI in 35 games with Virginia this season. A combination of power and speed, Fisher owns a career .290 (163x563) batting average with 30 doubles, 12 triples, 17 home runs and 121 RBI in his three seasons (2012-14) at Virginia.

Fisher is the everyday left fielder and No. 5 hitter for the Virginia Cavaliers, who advanced to the Super Regionals, which are set to begin on Saturday. In the Charlottesville Regional last weekend, Fisher hit .333 (4x12) with six RBI.

This marks Fisher's second time to be drafted, as he was a sixth round pick by the Rangers coming out of high school in 2011.

Reed, 21, a junior at Kentucky, leads the NCAA in home runs (23), slugging (.735) and OPS (1.211). He also hit .336 (75x223) this season with 18 doubles, 73 RBI and a .476 on-base percentage. Reed walked 49 times this season and struck out just 48 times.

A two-way player in college, Reed was also Kentucky's Friday night starter and led the SEC with 12 wins. He was the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year, the SEC Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the best collegiate baseball player in the country.

Tonight's portion of the draft included only the first and second rounds out of a scheduled 40, and will resume tomorrow beginning at 12 p.m. CT. Rounds 3-10 are scheduled for tomorrow and the draft will conclude with the final 30 rounds on Saturday, June 7.

Following the Astros 10th round selection tomorrow, Astros Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Elias will be made available to the media on the fifth floor of Union Station at approximately 5:30 p.m.